Bromley High School, Bickley, Kent

[Lasvegas]

Does anyone know anything about Bromley High School, Bickley, Kent? Am considering sending DD there in Sept 2007 when she is 4. It involves selling up in SW London and buying in Kent so I really want to be sure it is the right school.

[Jimjams]

very academic and if you want her to get in I'd recommend coaching for the entrance test- without it not a chgance (yes at 4 even!!). There are other good schools nearby though....

[LIZS]

Is that the GDST one ?

[Lasvegas]

Thanks Jimjams. Very suprised given the school's web site calls it a group exercise that a child could do if they had attended a good nursery or play school. Do you know any more about the test/coaching? The parents have to attend an interview and although DP does very well for himself in the city he has a strong London accent. Will this be held against us do you think? At interwiews are they concerned about the parents background at all?

If you could name other schools nearby that would be great. We are basically going to buy a house near to a good school. We are moving to Kent because parents in law live there and I thought it would be easier to get a place in a Kent school as opposed to a London School.

[Lasvegas]

Yes GDST one. Don't know what it stands for basically I'm trawling through the Good Schools Guide.

[LIZS]

Girls' Day School Trust - used to be Girls' Public Day School Trust but they dropped it a few years back. I went to the related Brighton one many many years ago, think there are about 25 countrywide info here . You used to be able to get bursaries to help with fees and some offer boarding as well as day. You may find you are needing to register her now for an entrance assessment (I went at 11 and had to take an 11+ exam)

[Creole]

My son just started in a very good primary school in Bromley (St. Mark's) and there are a lot of them around.

[Jimjams]

They may describe it that way LasVegas- but it's not like that. I don't know anyone who's got in recently - and some of those has been coached. Depends what you're looking for- I'm about 3 yearsa out of date - so any headhsip changes in that time may make me well out of date, but I thought Babbington House was a nice school. (not too pressurised) and I heard good things about it.

[Lasvegas]

Thank you, I will check out those schools. The whole thing is scary, I thought finding the enormous school fees, selling 2 properties and re-locating to a new area which involves a longer commute would be enough of a sacrifice to secure DD education. Now there are entrance hurdles! I guess we will have to rent somewhere in interim then buy a house once we know DD has passed entrance tests. So hard trying to get low down on schools, I have no friends with kids and am re-locating.

[maddiemo]

Babbington House does tend to be the favourite non selective.
Girls from my sons nursery used to go to Bromley High, but I don't think any of them were coached, although it was an academic nursery.
They were always bright perky girls though.

St Davids College is a small mixed selective.
Baston Girls is I think non selective.
Wickham Court mixed, not sure entry criteria.

[Jimjams]

yep- coaching can take plkace in nursery- the ones I knew who went forward were specifically prepared at nursery (or not at all- but one i know made sure her dd wasn't prepared because she didn't want her to go).